The latte factor, love it or hate it, gets a lot of press. I’ve been thinking about it a little while I’ve been home this week, sniffling and coughing my brains out. You see, I’ve been a major nail biter my whole life, but I’ve been doing much better this year. Then for some reason,…
55 Pixabay. CCO Licensed. Many of us spend a shocking amount of money on electronics. This doesn’t just include the purchase cost but also the running costs such as repairs and energy bills. If you’re thinking of buying a new TV or a new laptop or a new set of speakers, here are just a…
Pixabay There is, arguably, nothing more stressful than dealing with debt, but what happens when you are comfortable, in a full-time job, have various outgoings, but then the rug is pulled out from underneath you? Getting laid off is, for many people, their worst nightmare. And in a financial sense, panic stations can set in.…
Image Credit: Pexels No one likes paying bills, but sadly they’re a part of life in modern society. Unless you’re planning on moving off-grid, growing your own food and creating your own energy then you’re never going to eradicate your bills altogether. But what if you could reduce the cost of your bills and do…
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how I got to where I currently am financially. Fun fact – that included doing several things I didn’t/don’t really like. Funner fact- at least I don’t have to do these things so often anymore. Let’s start with a small one that I definitely don’t do…
Picture It can feel like a major pressure in life. If you have paying extortionate rent costs, outgoings you’re unable to escape from, and children that want the latest toys, something has to give. But it can feel like you’re breaking their heart somewhat by not giving them all the toys that they want. But…
This post could also be subtitled, why to bank the heck out of any windfalls, especially if you’re a contract worker. I remember a few summers ago, after this blog started making a fairly reliable $500/month the majority of the time, I had a bunch of stage management work fall through and the show I…
I’ve got lifestyle inflation on the brain. A few weeks ago, I was working on a post that had me digging through my old net worth updates to track the financial growth of this blog. Out of the corner of my eye, I half noticed that the amount I spend each month appeared to be…
When you are just starting out saving money, it might feel like it is never going to happen. Actively putting money away isn’t always the easiest thing to do for people. But making cutbacks it a lot easier. Do you remember when Carrie Bradshaw had to make cutbacks, but still managed to afford some Manolos?…
Usually today is the day I post my accountability update for the month, but I felt like with three extra days to spend and some travel, it would be better to do it the first day of July. ALSO, I was thinking about the importance of frugal friends and today happens to be my most…
One of the most draining aspects on your finances in modern life is high rent costs on private accommodation. If you find a large percentage of your wages are being spent on your housing costs then you are effectively living in poverty. Take California as an example, it’s reported that in some areas the average…
It’s been a while since we talked about cruise ships but I was recently reading a post somewhere that said you should try to live the first few days after you receive a paycheck the same as the last few days leading up to it (in terms of spending). I laughed because I understood the…
Anyone who drives knows full well that it is something that is usually a considerable drain on financial resources. This can often be so bad that it even seems unavoidable, but this is far from the truth. Actually, if you want to find a way to stop your car from causing you financial loss, there…
Learning to be smart about your money is a lot like trying to lose weight. You know that diet and exercise will help, but sometimes it is hard to fit those efforts into your life. Money is no different. You know that if you want to have more money, you either have to spend less…
This post is not for those struggling to make ends meet. This is for the lovely step beyond that one where you have a plan and pleasantly find you’ve usually got a few bucks extra each month. If you are totally broke, feel free to check out the earlier posts on this blog. That was…
Just because you’re broke doesn’t mean that your home can’t be stylish, organized, and luxurious. The secret to renovating your home on a budget is to replace expensive items with affordable alternatives that will require some extra time and assembly on your part. Snagging A Good Deal On A New Mattress One of the most…
In 2014, I moved into an apartment in NYC and one of my New Year’s goals that year was to furnish and decorate my apartment in a budget friendly way. It was the first apartment I’d had in about seven years and when I moved in, it definitely had a meth-den chic to it. I…
The absolute best frugality hack I’ve found in the last 10 years is to find a way to not pay rent. Now, I’m not telling you to go be some bounce back millennial that’s all over the use and mooches endlessly off mom and dad. Though, a lot of parents really don’t seem to mind,…
I have always been super susceptible to colds. From like mid-October to mid-May, I’ve got a perpetual case of the sniffles. Touring makes this even worse usually. On the ships, the canned air circulating through cruise ship cabins would infect us all with ship plagues that would just hop from one person to another and…
Christmas is kind of expensive. Last year was the first time in a while that I was working somewhere with co-workers and I forgot how expensive grabbing a few little things here and there can get. I’ve been pretty lucky that most of the last few years, my Christmas gift list is my parents, my…
Working in the arts means I’m kind of used to long periods of being wildly overworked followed by weeks or months of downtime with no pay in between projects. My favorite variation of this was cruise ships, because by the time I walked off my ship, I always knew the date I’d be returning to…
We all love living in luxury, but it’s often difficult to fit everything we want into a limited living budget. For instance, you might adore the idea of disappearing on holiday every year. But will your finances allow for this option? Or, could be desperate to have a home with a pool. But is that…
Everyone needs a hobby or two as this is important in terms of relaxing and having something to do with your spare time. Hobbies can be a great outlet and a good way to meet people with similar interests to your own; however many hobbies can cost a lot of money which is not ideal…
Having narrowed your choice of cars down to one or two specific models, you should be ready to purchase the car of your choice. That means, you should have test-driven a variety of cars and be able to decide on the exact trim, colors and the options you want. Most car shoppers tend to focus…
Whether you’re doing it to save money or just because you want to try something new, ditching makeup is all the rage. Alicia Keys and Gwyneth Paltrow are just two of the many public figures jumping on the no-makeup bandwagon. But the thing is, those people are ultra-rich. What about the rest of us? I’m…